Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-31
NO HENNEPIN THERE.

What the Chicago Times" Believes
TO be the Object of the Peoria Water
way Convention Other Editorial
Views.
In the editorial column of Mondays
Chicago Times, appears the following:
The endorsement given by Maj. Han
bury, the government engineer in charge
of river and harbor improvements IN this
region. to the project for canal from
Lake Michigan to Joliet. there to connect
with the work projected and in progress
for Il complete naviga5le channel BY way
of the Illinois river to the Mississippi is
important Ii embodies the deliberate
Judgment Of an expert in favor of the
route as valuable aid to commerce. and
should receive careful and candid consid
Grafton from congress. The improves
ment of the Illinois river to LaSalle has
been completed and the work is TO be
carried forward to Joliet With practica
Die navigation from the latter place to
the Mississippi, it will be manifest fool
ishness to stop the system at a point only
few miles from its natural eastern ter
mination Until the line is open to Lake
Michigan it can only accommodate an
insignificant way traffic, while the short
cut from Joliet to the lake will make it
the thoroughfare for vast commerce, in
which large part of the Mississippi
valley is interested.
The convention which is called to meet
at Peoria on the / It'll of October in the
interest of this improvement ought to be
made an imposing demonstration. The
call for the convention very truthfully
says; The perfection of great waters
way. capable of steam navigation from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico,
and through the very heart of the best
portion of the American republic, is of
vast importance to the industrial and
commercial interests of the whole cOun-
try. and especially OF the west" The
single short link needed to complete the
chsin cannot be very costly one, and,
having already expended so much in the
work of river improvement below La
Sale, congress should be persuaded to
see the absurdity of stopping short at
any interior point. The logic of all that
has been done demands that the work be
finished to Lake Michigan
The Peoria Journal of yesterday, speak,
ing of the convention and its object, re-
marks
This convention is recognized as of vast
importance all over the state, and no
stone will be left unturned in the effort
to increase its weight and influence. Ii
is one of the most important conferences,
ia commercial sense, ever held in this
section or in this state.
The Davenport Democrat, gazette of this
morning makes the following editorial
comment;
just why the Peoria managers of the
proposed convention should send invita-
tions to Iowa or even western Illinois
with the idea that favorable response vii
be received. is hard to understand Man,
ifesLly the Peoria convention is to be helt
with one object in view, and that is The
improvement of the Illinois river with ,
Chicago connection from Joliet Thb
will answer the purpose Of a drainag,
channel from Chicago, and therefore tina
city is awakened to the Importance q
aiding the Peoria meeting us much al
possible.
By the terms Of the call no friend o
the Henuepin canal is expected to attenC
the Peoria convention. If any SHOULD
SO far forget themselves in their Yea
for the water way PROJECT in which thu
great west is so vitality interested
they would be ruled out on arrivini
there 1t looks as if a scheme had beel
cOnCOcted to shut out the Hennepil
canal and ali illusions to it. If this i
the object it will prove an expensive
piece of business for the friends of tn
Illinois river. That project Is local an,
as such has received attention from con
gress. The friends of the Hennepin cana
have rendered material assistance IN oh
tanning the appropriations for the Iilinoi
river, but # it is proposed now to carr
that project to Washington as an indie
pendent measure, the chances of its sue
cess are very slim. The Hennepin cans
today has more and stronger friends
congress than 1t ever has had before an
any scheme to divert attention from
will meet with decided protest Their
is but one thing for the callers of til
Peoria convention TO do if they want I
secure the co cooperation of helper
throughout Iowa and Northern Illinoi
and this is to SO amend their call as to
least mention the Hennepin canal. I'll
day has gone by when this enterprise ca
be snubbed with impunity, even at Vast
ington to say nothing of a local meetin
like that to be held at Peoria